


freelance position (prior experience required)

by lilithqueen



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, M/M, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 11:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19991524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithqueen/pseuds/lilithqueen
Summary: Big honkin' huge spoilers for 5.0/Shadowbringers! Read at your own risk/etc."I swear their receptionist was trained as a spy. Not that anyone can escape that Baldesion woman once she has caught the scent of your aether..."Krile and Tataru apprise Estinien of recent events. Estinien has more feelings than he'd thought possible.





	freelance position (prior experience required)

Half a bell ago, Estinien had been having a rather pleasant night. The inn at the Gyr Abanian border wasn’t much to look at, but it served excellent beer and a reasonably edible bowl of stew. He was even almost sure he could identify the meat if he was given a few minute to think about it. It was a fine opportunity to think about his next job and gather valuable local information; though the country was free, bandits were a perennial problem, to say nothing of the vicious local wildlife. He'd already determined not to take any jobs involving fluturini again. Tucked into a corner table, lance resting against his chair, he passed for any other adventurer.

That had been before two lalafellin women had strode in, dusty in their traveling clothes. As their sharp gazes fixed on him like dragons on a wounded steinbock, he'd had a moment to note that the pink one was vaguely familiar—and then she’d said his name.

“Estinien Wyrmblood. We’ve been looking for you _all over_.”

He'd set his spoon down.

He had yet to pick it back up. He wasn’t sure he could. The food he’d already eaten had settled into a lead weight in his gut; he was nastily sure that he’d be sick all over the table if he dared wash it down with another glass of beer. The woman—Tataru—had not stopped talking, and each new word was a spear in his chest. Alphinaud, unconscious for months—his very soul torn from his body while it still lived. He still breathed and swallowed, but there was no response. _Like a doll_ , Miss Baldesion had whispered—a twist of the knife that had forced Estinien’s breath from his lungs. As best they’d been able to determine, his soul was still in one piece, a small mercy. Save that it was very possibly on another _star_. One he had no hope of going to, though whoever had pulled the Scions’ souls from their bodies had so graciously extended the invitation to the Warrior of Light.

And now the Scions were short on personnel, and so they had sought him out. Now. Months later.

 _I would have—Alphinaud…_ He couldn’t think of that face still in endless repose, that soft hair spread out on the pillow. _Fury, forgive me. I should have told you while I had you here—no, I never should have left. I…I’ll never get the chance—_ Gods, his chest _hurt_.

“…of course, we'll compensa—you’re bleeding!”

Oh. He uncurled his fists, staring at the blood on his nails. No—his _claws_. Slowly, he ran his tongue over his suddenly sharp eyeteeth and grimaced. Nidhogg had left marks beyond scars, the scaly bastard. “It’s fine.”

Miss Baldesion grabbed his wrist, something he almost pulled away from before he saw the gentle glow of a healing spell in her other hand. “Alphinaud was right. You _are_ a stubborn lump.”

His dinner felt unpleasantly like it was about to make a bid for freedom, and it had nothing to do with the itchiness of being healed. “He told you about me?”

Tataru smirked at him. “The hard part was getting him to _stop_. You made quite an impression on him.”

“He did risk his life and soul for the man,” Miss Baldesion reminded her. “I’m sure Ser Estinien is _well aware_ of Alphinaud’s feelings towards him.”

Estinien wasn’t sure he trusted himself to respond. _Yes, you’d have to be blind and deaf not to notice Alphinaud cares for me, but in my defense I'd…_ Fury's tits, even in the privacy of his own mind he couldn’t find the words to describe his state after being freed from Nidhogg, from the vengeance that had defined his life. The realization that somehow Alphinaud Leveilleur had been having an effect on his heart as well as his loins had been one shock too much. So he’d buried it deep and ran; surely with distance, with time, the urge to snatch the boy up and kiss a smile onto his face would fade. He’d find longer limbs, brighter eyes, a night's distraction. Oh, how wrong he’d been.

The women seemed to be expecting a response. With words. He had to swallow several times before he could restore life to his dry mouth. “Does it matter? He’s bereft of his soul, according to you.”

Tataru’s face fell, but only for a moment before a faint smile took up residence there. Somehow that was worse than if she'd started crying. “He still has it! It’s just not…here. And when he’s whole again, I’m sure he—he’ll want to—” Oh gods, her lower lip was trembling.

He had to cut her off. There was a lump in his own throat he didn’t want to think about. “I suppose I owe it to the boy to return the favor.” At her questioning look, he found he couldn’t help a smirk at the memory. “Ah, he didn’t tell you? I awoke to the sight of him sobbing by my bedside after my…possession. ‘Twould have melted a heart of stone.”

Miss Baldesion's smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve known him nearly half his life, and I’ve never seen him cry in public. Hmm.”

It suddenly didn’t seem as amusing as it had been. He turned his gaze to Tataru instead. “It was a…trying time. I understand your headquarters are in Mor Dhona?” The stories he’d heard of the place had never sounded particularly appealing, but that had been before tonight.

She nodded. “We can set up a bunk for you—”

“That won't be necessary. I only—” The dust from the road must have filtered into the room, for his eyes burned. “I want to see him. And then…I will be at your direction.”

_Until he wakes, and smiles at me again._

**Author's Note:**

> hey guess where else nidhogg left marks (alphy's going to be very impressed)


End file.
